About us

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures (SMLC) embraces the subject areas of Comparative Literature, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian/Slavonic Languages, Spanish, Translation Studies, and English for Academic Study.

The School seeks to foster a culture of excellence in research in each area of its activities, thereby fomenting an intellectual climate in which learning and teaching of the highest quality can be delivered. In doing so the School aims to participate fully in the University of Glasgow's mission which is to play a leading role in the intellectual, professional, commercial and cultural life of the local, national, and international communities to which it belongs and with which it interacts.

The School has around 50 members of academic staff teaching and researching (some of whom are native speakers) and is backed by native language teachers in all subject areas. Degree courses at Honours level are offered in Comparative Literature, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, often in combination with other subjects and, together with Czech, Polish, Mandarin and Catalan, as single courses within another degree. There are taught postgraduate courses in Comparative Literature, Translation Studies and TESOL (jointly with the School of Education).

English for Academic Study offers a range of courses to support students' development of English language skills within an academic environment. Short courses in foreign languages are also available to support students intending to spend time abroad as part of their degree in another subject, or for other specific purposes.

All staff are located in the recently refurbished Hetherington Building in Bute Gardens. Student facilities in the building include a well stocked audio-visual library, computer cluster and student common room.

The Language Resource Collection (LRC), previously the Language Resource Library (LRL), has moved to Level 4 of the Library.